Valentine's Day Reflections
by islashlove
Summary: This is a Valentine's Day story for Mark. This is how Dr. Mark Sloan spends his Valentine's Day. Warning: Mention of Steve and Jesse being in a relationship, but this story main focus is Mark.


**Disclaimer:**** I do not own anything that is from Diagnosis Murder. **

**Beta:**** Yes, I would like to say thank you to my Beta jerseybelle**

**Warning:**** Mention of Steve and Jesse being in a relationship, but this story's main focus is Mark. **

**Author's Notes:**** This is a Valentine's Day story for Mark.**

**Story Notes:**** This is how Dr. Mark Sloan spends his Valentine's Day. **

**Valentine's Day Reflections:**** By islashlove**

**Chapter 1:**** Mark's Valentine**

Mark stood smiling over the two sleeping boys. It had taken him two movies and half an hour of singing to get the boys to settle down and then off to sleep, but it was all worth it. He was babysitting C.J. and Deon for the night, as Jack had taken Amanda out on a date for Valentine's Day.

He walked into his bedroom and grabbed the little pink box sitting on his bedside table. He then walked back into the lounge, placing the box on the coffee table and made his way into the kitchen. As he waited for the kettle to boil, his mind wandered to the events of the day and how it led him to be babysitting on his own, on the night made for lovers.

_Mark was sitting at his desk when there was a knock on the door. Looking up he was surprised to find his old friend Dr. Jack Stewart standing there._

"_Jack, my boy, come on in and take a seat."_

"_Thanks, Mark," Jack said as he walked in and took the said seat._

"_So, Jack, what brings you here on this fine day?"_

"_I wanted to ask you a favour actually. I mean, you don't need to do it if you already have plans with it being Valentine's Day and all."_

"_Jack…your babbling, what do you want?"_

"_I was wondering if you could watch Amanda's kids for the night."_

"_Oh and why is that?" Mark said trying to hide his smile. He knew damn well why Jack wanted him to babysit tonight._

"_I want to ask Amanda out on a date and…"_

"_And you just wanted to make sure she couldn't use having no one to watch the kids as an excuse, right?"_

"_Right," Jack answered a little embarrassed that Mark could read him so well._

"_Of course I will watch C.J. and Deon. Now you get out there and sweep Amanda off her feet." Mark had hoped that Amanda might have been the one for Steve, but it never panned out that way. He would be very happy if it could work out for Jack and Amanda._

"_Thank you, Mark, and I'll let you know for real, as soon as I know."_

_With that Jack and Mark stood up and shook hands. Jack was a good man and a good doctor, just the type of person Amanda needed._

_Two hours later he got the call to tell him that Amanda had said yes and an hour later he was walking into the Doctor's Lounge to find Jesse and Steve sitting there talking._

"_Hi, Dad," Steve said with a smile on his face._

"_Afternoon, Mark," came Jesse's greeting._

"_Good afternoon, boys, so what do you have planned for this evening?" Mark watched as the two men exchanged looks. Guilt spread across their faces as if Mark had caught them doing something wrong. "Ok, you two, what's going on?"_

"_Mark, Dad…" They both started off saying together before pausing._

_Mark let out a deep breath, so the day had finally come. He had known, or at least suspected, that Steve and Jesse were in a relationship with each other and he couldn't deny that it hurt a little that they didn't think that they could tell him about it. But Mark also knew that they would tell him when they were ready. He watched as they exchanged looks again and then Steve started to talk._

"_Dad, Jesse and I have plans tonight."_

"_Plans as in…working at Bob's or as in having dates for the evening or as in going on a date with each other?"_

_Mark stood there and watched as his words sank in. He was surprised that it was Jesse who had caught onto his words first and that Steve just looked dumbfounded._

"_You know about us, Mark?" Jesse asked. Mark could hear the fear in his voice._

"_No, Jesse, I didn't know for sure until now, but I did have a feeling that something was going on between you two. Steve, are you ok?"_

"_Yeah Dad, I should have known we couldn't keep anything from you. Are you ok with me being…" Steve suddenly pauses when his and Marks eyes meet._

"_Of course I'm ok with you being with Jesse, Steve. What have I ever done to make you think I wouldn't be?"_

"_Nothing, Dad, It was just…I guess I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that I fell in love with my best friend and that he loves me back."_

"_So I take it I won't be seeing either of you tonight?"_

"_Sorry, Dad, but it's our first Valentine's Day and we were looking forward to being alone."_

"_What about you, Mark? What are you doing tonight?"_

"_I'm babysitting C.J. and Deon so Jack can take Amanda out. So don't you two worry about me being alone, I'm sure my hands will be full tonight."_

"_Thanks for understanding, Dad," Steve said patting his dad on the shoulder. _

_But the moment only lasted a second before the call come over the speakers for all available doctors to report to the ER. Before Steve knew it, he was standing alone in the room as Mark and Jesse were already gone._

And this is what brought us back to Mark sitting alone in his lounge room, sipping a hot cup of tea and going through old photos. He picked up one of him and his wife, Katherine, before Steve was born. It was their first Valentine together as husband and wife and it was the night Katherine had told him that she was pregnant. Nine months later Steve was born.

Mark set the photo down and picked up a small diary. Opening it up, Mark read over the last entry.

He and Katherine had started this diary when they first got together and on every Valentine's Day, they would put into it what their year had been like. The good, the bad and the downright horrible went in and they would start a new year together.

Mark had kept the diary after Katherine had passed away. It had allowed him to still be with her, even after all these years, on Valentine's Day, and this year was no different. So Mark started writing this year's entry.

"Dear Katherine,

Happy Valentine, my love,

Today, I found out that Steve was really going to be ok. He had finally found someone I know will make him happy and will always love him. His name is Dr. Jesse Travis and I know Steve will be safe in his hands, for Jesse has proven that to me over and over again.

On another note, I have heard from Carol…"

**The End**

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing my story.**


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